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unhappy with my tone

#81
Personally, I'd start by pulling out a few dbs of +/- 240 hZ .... and try a brighter string, like some steels. That'll at least get you a bit closer. Then I'd go back to practicing. Remember that you can greatly vary your tone with things like right hand position.

Good luck to ya !
 
#82
+1 on Fender Rumble, Ampeg BA115, or Markbass CMD151P Players School...ALL great beginner amps that you wont
be looking to upgrade soon because while producing good/useable tone, they should all be loud enough to carry through
a real band rehearsal. My other rec's for basses would be Squier Pbasses, Sire V7 (if you like jazz bass tone) or G&L L2000
Tribute if you want the best of all worlds. Good luck and happy playing!
 
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#84
A used Fender P bass should be easy to come by for a decent price, and it would fit 90% of the gigs you're likely to play, tonally. It takes roundwound strings and flatwound strings equally well, finger style and pick, etc. I'd go for a used Ampeg, Markbass, TC Electronic, or Genz Benz amp to begin with, 2 x 10", 2 x 12" or 1 x 15" speakers, a combo amp or even better a head + cabinet. The latter solution would make it easier to switch cab and/or upgrade with a second cabinet with time.

Eventually you might feel the need to experiment, but a set-up like that would be a great starting point, IMO.
 
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#88
Fender P-Bass.... Really that is all you need for a bass. Though if you are starting out you might want to look at one of the Ibanez lines. They offer a wide range of easy to get good tones in an affordable package.

As for an amp, depends on how much volume you need. Fender Rumbles and Ampeg BA amps have a good reputation. They are affordable and sound decent.
 
#89
Embrace the mud...but seriously throw your tone in a band mix and see how it sounds. Or just play along to your favorite recording and fade the bass out of that recording and play it back. You might find out that it works AND that you like it in that setting.

When I play my Squier P-Bass 5 out I don't think the bottom compares to my other two basses, but I've got proof that it works out just fine with video playback and with fan compliments.
 
#90
Don't go throwing your equipment out yet. Sometimes the player hasn't found the right combination of settings or listened from the right spot in the room.

First, know what sound you're looking for.

Then, set all your pots flat (12:00 noon), on both bass and amp. If your amp has gain and volume controls and it sounds boomy, turn the gain way down and then gradually up to a spot where you get the sound you're looking for.

Then start with the bass setting on your amp -- turn it down all the way, then up all the way, and find the spot somewhere in between where the speaker sounds best without distorting. Do the same with the treble, and then with the mids. Mids are the trickiest, so I wouldn't stray much from that high-noon setting if I were you. Then sit about 10 feet in front of the amp and listen -- this is close to what an audience hears. You'll find it's a very different sound than what you hear when you're right on top of the amp. Use your instrument pots for fine-tuning. And remember, you'll have to make changes for every venue you play in, so start by repeating the above in at least a couple different rooms in your dwelling -- one small, and one larger, preferably-- just to get used to the sonic differences. Practice makes perfect with amp settings, too.

If you change equipment, I like Klonk's recommendations, and you really can't go wrong with a Fender P bass no matter where it's made (unless you're looking more for the Jazz bass sound), but those amps are fairly pricey (and Genz Benz is out of business, so if you go that route, make sure you have a qualified repair guy nearby). I'm plenty impressed with my Fender Rumble 100, and so are my bandmates, and they're $299 new. I bought mine primarily because I'm old and it weighs only 22 lbs., but it's really a great amp for the price.

Take your time and good luck.
 
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#91
Well, if you wan a deep tone like Mike Dirnt's you'll notice that its not that bassy at all. In fact he has a pretty treble-y, which works well fro that kind of music.
But an EBO won't cut it - they are extremely bassy/fat/muddy (whatever word you want to use) and are not that usable a tone for most people or most types of music.
Assuming you don't have money to buy a new bass already, make sure your EQ on the amp is more or less flat (all knobs pointing UP) and your tone and volume on the bass are all the way on (most volume, most treble). Work with that. It will sound a little "clanky" to you at first, but that's because you are not used to bass by itself. A good rule for most rock music is - if it sounds good and fat alone it will sound bad in a band context, also, make sure your guitar player isn't maxing his bass either, that just makes things worse. If he says it's "his tone" - he's wrong - that tone is non functional in a band setting.
Once you have experience you can start tweaking your settings, but they should generally stay close to that range with adjustments of a "notch" or two at a time. This will avoid weird sounds until you know enough about what you are doing to be able to deliberately create the weird sounds yo hear in your head.
 
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#92
Good points here - I forgot to mention the gain knob - which is especially important with a bass like the EB which can easily distort the front end of an amp.
Also - if the amp has a "contour" button generally speaking, turn it on. This has a preset EQ built in, but is generally the best the amp will sound for most people with most basses - basically, this is what he designers wanted the amp to sound like, but putting it on a switch makes it a "feature" (it does technically make the amp more flexible by allowing you to disable it, but they're really about marketing).
 
#93
Cratte sucks indeed. My first "amp" was a little B108 or something like that. It made me hate muff fuzz for years because I played a couple muffs through it and the sound that came out really messed me up. Made me think that's what muffs sounded like. Anyway, I would start there. At least go get a newer Ampeg or Fender combo. Those are great little combos.

As for the bass, yes, it darker than most. I would also look into what Squier offers at your local music store. Its tough to go wrong with just about anything they make these days are between the P, P/J or J, you can get a pretty universal bass sound.
 
#96
Your amp is perfect for where you are. As a beginner it gives you enough power to play with other musicians. If you are not getting the tone you want out of your amp try some pedals to shape your sound.

Joyo American or California ~$35
Zoom B1ON ~$50
Hartke VXL ~$100
Zoom MS60B ~$100

Any of those will give you some tone shaping options that may work better than the EQ on your amp. Plus they won't break the bank.

I've owned an Epiphone EB-0 and EB-3. Love the look but don't care for them. Try an Ibanez or Squier and see what you think. They will be more versatile than and EB-0.
 
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#98
matty1039 said:
Your amp is perfect for where you are. As a beginner it gives you enough power to play with other musicians. If you are not getting the tone you want out of your amp try some pedals to shape your sound.

Joyo American or California ~$35
Zoom B1ON ~$50
Hartke VXL ~$100
Zoom MS60B ~$100

Any of those will give you some tone shaping options that may work better than the EQ on your amp. Plus they won't break the bank.

I've owned an Epiphone EB-0 and EB-3. Love the look but don't care for them. Try an Ibanez or Squier and see what you think. They will be more versatile than and EB-0.
Click to expand...
I would add two that list Behringer BDi21 V-tone ~$30
 
#99
Buy a P bass. It's the sound that you've heard recorded on a million albums. There are flashier looking basses that catch the eye, do not be distracted. Buy a P bass. Get a proper setup if needed. Then go and try different amps until you find the tone you like. It will probably be some variation on the Ampeg SVT sound.
 
#100
Before you do anything do this:
Have someone else play your gear while you listen to them. Sounds different doesn't it? Its closer to what you really sound like. Use that as a jumping off point for what you want to change. I have not owned an EB-0 but I have owned a Crate BX200 full stack back in the day. I was never thrilled with the tone. I was not able to get a noticeable difference in amp tone until i jumped up to pro level gear. Good news is you can get a perfectly good pro level amp for less money than a new lesser quality amp if you look in the right places. People are giving away SWR's practically right now, and GK RB400's are still reasonable but climbing. But like I said, you may not sound as bad as you think. have someone else play your gear for you.
 
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